While many South African entrepreneurs are taking a well-deserved break this weekend, business fraudsters are working overtime.
Historically, the period between Christmas and New Year sees a 40% spike in business-targeted scams in South Africa. Scammers know that SME owners are anxious about January cash flow and are more likely to drop their guard for a “too-good-to-be-true” opportunity.
This weekend, the Billionaire Mentor network has received multiple reports of sophisticated “Ghost Tender” scams currently circulating. Here is what you need to know to protect your business before 2026 begins.
The Modus Operandi: The “Urgent” Dec 31st Deadline
The current scam involves fraudulent emails pretending to be from legitimate government departments (often Public Works, Health, or municipal bodies) or large private corporations.
These emails announce an “urgent, short-notice tender” that needs to be awarded before the end of the 2025 calendar year. They target SMEs in construction, supply chain, and logistics.
The Trap: To secure the tender documents or register on a “preferred supplier database” instantly, the business owner is told they must pay an immediate “refundable deposit” or “document fee”—usually between R2,500 and R15,000—via direct EFT this weekend. Once paid, the “official” vanishes.
3 Red Flags to Spot This Weekend
If you receive an unexpected business opportunity in your inbox today or tomorrow, apply these three tests immediately:
1. The Email Address Test Legitimate SA government communications never come from @gmail.com, @yahoo.com, or slightly misspelled domain names (e.g., @treasury-sa.gov). If it doesn’t end in a standard official domain, delete it.
2. The “Upfront Fee” Demand Real funding and legitimate tender processes rarely, if ever, demand upfront cash deposits via EFT to secure access. Any request for immediate payment to a bank account to “unlock” an opportunity is almost certainly a scam.
3. Extreme Urgency on a Weekend Government procurement officers are on holiday. They are not emailing you on Saturday, December 27th, demanding payment by Sunday to award a contract on Monday. False urgency is the scammer’s primary weapon.
The Mentor’s Advice: Verify, Don’t Rush
If you are desperate for Q1 contracts, you are vulnerable. Do not let anxiety cloud your judgment.
If you receive such an offer, do not reply and do not pay. Instead, independently verify the tender on the official National Treasury eTender portal or the specific company’s official website.
Real opportunities will still be there on Monday morning. Stay sharp, keep your cash safe, and enjoy the rest of your weekend.
